Pokémon Crimson Gold
Chapter 52: Fatherhood and other dreams
After winning his Gym match with leader Pryce and receiving his seventh badge, it was finally time for Ethan to leave Mahogany but it would be a while before he could just challenge the eighth gym in Blackthorn. Ethan's father was returning and he would have to make plans with his mom.
"So, Goldenrod... I'm going to have to go to goldenrod!?" Ethan complained while on the Pokégear with his Mom. He was sitting on a bench along with Bayleef.
"Of course, Ethan, of course." His mother said. "Your father will be arriving at Goldenrod the day after today. You should have already been there by now."
"Why do I even have to go... I want nothing to do with that old man." Ethan said to his Mom's dismay.
"Ethan, don't talk about your father that way!" She said raising her voice. "He wants to see you again, and wants to see what Pokémon you've caught, and so do I."
"I know Mom, I know." Ethan muttered.
"Please Ethan, even Professor Elm will be there, he wants to see how you've gotten along." Mom said.
"You know I've talked more to Professor Elm since I've started my journey than Dad!" Ethan revealed. "Dad hasn't called me once."
"Well, you know how busy he is, trying to support the two of us with nothing but the prize money he wins." Mom said.
"Okay Mom, I'll be heading to Goldenrod, probably take me a week though." Ethan muttered.
"Well, Dad is going to be staying for a while, so that's just fine." Mom said. "Love you, got to go."
Ethan hung up the Pokégear without saying bye. He didn't want to return to Goldenrod but it felt like he was being forced to.
"So, Goldenrod, what do you think Bayleef?" Ethan asked his starter.
Bayleef shook her head no as she didn't want to go back, after all it felt like they were both so close the finish line.
"Well, I guess you'll be meeting my Dad so that'll be interesting I guess." Ethan muttered. "I don't feel like seeing him though."
Bayleef nodded her head and licked Ethan on the cheek making him smile.
"Alright, well we should be getting along now!" Ethan said grabbing his Pokéballs from his bag. "Come on out you guys!"
Ethan released Ampharos, Togetic, Eevee, and Heracross. He of course didn't release Gyarados since he was too big to be released in public, so just the rest of the crew.
"Amphy!" Ampharos said.
"Toge!" Togetic said joyfully.
"Eee!" Eevee cried.
"Hera Hera!" Heracross exclaimed.
"Everyone, I have news. Kiss this town goodbye cause we're going to be heading to Goldenrod." Ethan said.
"Hera Hera?" Heracross said confused.
"Eevee?" Eevee asked.
"Oh, Goldenrod is a big city I first traveled through long before I met you guys, I only had Ampharos, Togetic, and of course Bayleef at the time." Ethan stated.
"Bay!" Bayleef said reminiscing.
"Amphar!" Ampharos confirmed.
Togetic simply turned around and looked confused, not remembering a thing.
"Huh... oh yeah, at the time you were only just hatched Togetic, so you probably don't remember." Ethan said, Togetic jumped in his arms and Ethan caught him.
"Toge Togetic!" Togetic said happily while nuzzling into Ethan's arms.
"Haha, it feels like we've all changed so much!" Ethan said looking at his Pokémon. "Man, seven badges, we're almost ready to take on the Pokémon League."
"Eevee!" Eevee agreed.
"Hera Heracross!" Heracross said with an excited expression on his face.
"Anyways you guys, we'll be heading out for Goldenrod soon. If there's any place you guys want to go since this is the last we'll see of this town for a while then go ahead now." Ethan told his Pokémon. "Meet me back here in say fifteen minutes, kay?"
His Pokémon agreed and all went off. Heracross and Ampharos both went off in the same direction and Eevee went along with Togetic who followed closely behind her.
"What's the matter Bayleef?" Ethan asked his starter who was still sitting right beside him. "Don't you want to go off and have fun."
Bayleef shook her head no, she preferred to be with Ethan than anyone else.
"I had a feeling you'd say that." Ethan said putting his hands around his head.
So much has happened since I've started my journey... Ethan thought.
"Bayleef, I think I'm going to take a minute to rest, that alright?" Ethan asked his starter.
"Bay!" She said telling Ethan to get some her rest.
"Thanks girl, wake me up when the others get here," Ethan said closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.
….
"Ethan, Ethan!" A voice said knocking on the front door of the boy's house.
"I'm coming Mom!" Ethan said running to open the front door, his Mother had just come back from shopping.
"You're finally back, I missed you!" Ethan said giving his Mom a hug.
"I missed you too honey, and happy birthday." She said giving her son a kiss on the cheek. She had bags in her hands and Ethan helped her carry some.
"Is he here...?" Ethan finally came and asked his Mom, who gave a sorry look on his face.
"Ethan... I'm sorry, and you know you're Dad wanted to be here, but he couldn't make it." His Mom explained to him, making Ethan pout.
"I'm seven years old now! That's a big deal!" Ethan complained. "Dad should be here to celebrate."
"I know sweetie I know, but he's very busy working with that Professor Oak in the Kanto region. He can't just come back only for one day." Mom explained.
"I-I know..." Ethan said coming to terms with it.
"Well, we should get to celebrating. All your friends from school will be coming over around five, and don't worry, I made sure to invite Lyra, I couldn't not invite your girlfriend over." Mom said.
"Mom..." Ethan said embarrassed. "Not my girlfriend, we're just friends."
"Oh, come on. You still say sometimes I love you Lyra in your sleep!" She said laughing.
"I-I do not!" Ethan said raising his voice with his face red.
"Alright well we better get this house ready for the guest, let's do this Ethan." Mom said.
"Okay Mom!" Ethan agreed.
….
"Ethan, Ethan!" A voice said knocking on the front door of the boy's house.
"I'm coming Mom!" Ethan said running from the front door, his Mother had just come back from shopping.
"Happy eighth birthday Ethan." His Mother said giving her son a hug.
"Thanks Mom," Ethan said returning her hug.
"So... where's Dad, he said he'd come riding on a Charizard to be here today!" Ethan said excitedly, he jumped up and down pumped at the thought of it.
"Oh... didn't Dad call and tell you?" Mom said.
"No, call and tell me what?" Ethan asked.
"I'm sorry Ethan. But Dad can't make it, he's challenging the Battle Frontier right now, I'm sorry hon." Mom said, Ethan's excited expression turned to sadness.
"B-but he said that he'd come." Ethan said on the verge of tears. "He missed my seventh birthday, now he's going to miss my eighth?"
"I wish I could do something... I'm really sorry Ethan, but he needs to support us, you know that." Mom said putting her hand on his shoulder.
"I-I know Mom, it's okay... but he needs to make sure to call me sometime today then it'll be okay." Ethan said wiping his tears.
"I promise honey, now come on, you going to help me decorate this house?" She asked her son.
"Yeah!" Ethan agreed.
….
"Ethan, Ethan! Ethan, are you there?" Said a voice knocking on the front door of the boy's house.
"Coming Mom!" Ethan said quickly stepping down from the second story to the first. He ran to the door and opened to see his Mom with bags in her hands.
"Happy birthday Ethan!" She smiled and gave her son a hug. "I can't believe you're already ten!"
"Thanks Mom! School was so awesome Mom you should have seen it, Professor Elm let me see one the starter Pokémon today, it was so cool!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Really, how nice of him." Mom said.
"I know right, I got to see a Chikorita! It was so cute and cuddly and I think it really took a liking to me!" Ethan remarked.
"Really, you still like Chikorita's huh, your Dad and I always thought you'd like Cyndaquil or Totodile, guess not." Mom said, reminding Ethan.
"Oh yeah, Dad, where is he! He's coming, right?" Ethan asked.
"Ethan..." Mom said in a sorry tone, Ethan already got it.
"He's not making it...?" Ethan guessed, Mom nodded her head and Ethan sighed.
"You know, I don't even remember the last time he's came for my birthday, I just." Ethan mumbled.
"I know sweetheart I know, he thought he'd be able to make it by now but his flight got cancelled. He's going to be staying over in Sinnoh for just a bit longer. That okay?" Mom asked.
"I guess it's okay. I'm used to it by now." Ethan pouted.
Ding! The doorbell rang.
"Someone here already?" Ethan asked.
"Oh, it's Lyra, she came early!" Mom said opening the door.
Lyra!? Ethan thought getting butterflies.
"Happy birthday Ethan!" Lyra greeted her best friend as she was let in the house. She had her Marill on her shoulder and had her big poofy hat.
"Hey Lyra, thanks for coming early." Ethan smiled. "And hey Marill!"
"Marill!" Marill said leaping into Ethan's arms and hugging him.
"I got you a gift." Lyra said handing Ethan a package.
"Woah!" Ethan said excitedly as he opened it. "Two tickets to the Safari Zone!? You bought me one."
"Awe, so sweet." Mom said pinching Lyra on the cheek. It was then when she got a call on the housephone, so she left to go grab it.
"It was no big deal; the whole class is going tomorrow and me and especially Professor Elm would like for you to come." Lyra explained.
"Hey, wanna get out of here and go play with our Pokémon cards back at your place?" Ethan asked, handing her back her Marill.
"I was just about to ask you! Race you there?" She asked.
"You're on!" Ethan agreed.
"Ethan! It's dad!" Mom said coming back with the phone in her hands. "He wants to talk with you!"
Ethan had already ran off laughing along with Lyra however, not hearing a word his Mom had said.
….
"Ethan, Ethan, you home, can you open the door!" Mom said from outside the front door, having been calling for Ethan for a while now.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Ethan said as he slid down the stairway handrail.
Ethan opened the door to see his Mom who had shopping bags in her hands.
"Happy thirteenth birthday Ethan!" She said setting down her bags to hug her son.
"I'm a big kid now Mom, you can't keep hugging me all the time." Ethan complained as his Mom let go of him.
"Oh Ethan. You'll always be my little boy." She said kissing on the cheek, much to Ethan's dismay.
"You sent the invitations to your friends, right?" Mom asked her son.
"No Mom... I already told you it's just going to be us and Professor Elm." Ethan explained.
"But why Ethan? I'm sure you'd have a lot more fun if your friends came." Mother said sounding hurt for Ethan.
"What friends? Every kid my age in this neighborhood is nothing but jerks. Plus I'm fine with just you and Elm." Ethan told his Mom.
"Still... any chance Lyra might like to come, it's not to late to ask her?" Mom said making Ethan shake his head.
"How many times do I have to say it, Lyra won't talk to me anymore, and I can't stand her either. No way she's coming to my party." Ethan said crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry Ethan. I wish your Dad could make it..." She sighed.
"Dad. Who needs him, I don't really that old man comes or not. He can stay in Hoenn for the rest of his life for all I care." Ethan scoffed.
"Ethan, you don't really mean that do you?" Mom asked.
"I-it doesn't matter, now shouldn't we get this house ready for a party." Ethan asked.
"Y-yeah, we should." Mom agreed.
….
Ethan awoke from his nap, he had dreamt about the past for whatever reason.
"How long was I asleep..." Ethan muttered. He looked to the right of him, next to him was Bayleef, laying her head on his arm and resting. To his left was Ampharos who sat on the bench besides him softly resting as well. Both Eevee and Togetic laid in his lap. And sleeping by the ground besides him was Heracross.
Ethan looked at the sky to see it was night, he had slept for a long time he realized.
"Some dream..." Ethan sighed. But being by his Pokémon cheered him up. He put his arm around Bayleef and Ampharos and laid back to the bench with them.
"Alright... guess we can just stay like this for a little while longer..." Ethan said smiling.
Pretty short chapter but felt like some backstory would be interesting. Also in case you guys our wondering the Chikorita Ethan met at school during his birthday wasn't his Bayleef. So yeah, hope yall enjoyed, next chapter will be good by the way!